Central Bank says text messages are a fraud

COLUMBIA — Text messages sent to several mid-Missouri residents Thursday night claiming to be from Central Bank were fraudulent, the bank said.

The messages asked recipients to call an 800 or 866 number to gather personal information, such as credit and debit card numbers.

In a news release, the bank advised recipients who responded to the text with personal information to call their financial institution immediately.

The texts appear to have been widely distributed, not sent specifically to Central Bank customers. Central Bank Senior Vice President Dan Westhues said the bank's customer information was not compromised.